Why the f**k would you go to Mars?!?

[Danny]

So recently in the science media theres been a lot of talk about the 200,000+ volunteers who want to join a one way trip to mars. Naturally this lead to a down the pub shooting the shit conversation with mates for me We all seemed to reach the same conclusion "it would be nice to visit but you wouldnt want to live there" mostly because, as much as its a "one small step for man" situation mars is a geologically dead rock and if you arent a geologist or a scientist studying basic colonisation and terraforming or something its basically just the desert, but worse. One dude argued its a very defeatist attitude though, and i can see what he means. Space is essentially the last new frontier, its the old west on a larger scale. Some folks have got to be the pioneers that figure out survival strategies for living in a none terran environment for the long haul and god knows theres probably companies right salivating at the thought of strip mining mars for materials and they are going to need miners so a first step is expected and mandatory for future expansion thats much more comfortable for the rest of us. But what about you? would you get your ass to mars? You wouldnt be isolated with a quarter of a million other people for example and i would assume they would still get your satellite tv - though maybe with a delay But would it be worth it? To say good bye to Earth and know you wont return. To leave for a planet devoid of oceans, forests and wildlife? Personally i would find that horrible. Mars makes for an excellent undisturbed sample testbed for colonisation and eventually terraforming attempts but its such an unforgiving environment i can only imagine the extreme cabin fever that might occur to the colonists. Would you take the plunge to be one of them at this stage?

[Neil]

I'd not be the man for the job either... But that said, I've never been one for climbing mountains in the freezing cold, but there's folks out there that do. So it doesn't surprise me in the slightest that there's plenty of candidates who would love to explore and live out their lives on another planet.

[Danny]

Its an interesting thought when you think of the real world implications of it. If they are never coming back are they renouncing their nations citizenship to be legal Martians? Or would that depend on what country claims an area of mars first? Because god knows that untouched reserve of minerals must have certain folks eager to plant a flag first and scope out some rich veins of platinum or gold or something

[AcesandEights]

But what about you? would you get your ass to mars? You wouldnt be isolated with a quarter of a million other people for example and i would assume they would still get your satellite tv - though maybe with a delay Don't think I could hack it, even assuming it was something that could have been undertaken when I wasn't an old man. In theory it sounds exciting, but the meager existence anda general lack of interest in a dead planet, stemming from a lack of Scientific...err...acumen, I guess you could say, would kind of make it a wash for me. I mean who would want to be marooned on a dead planet? - - - Updated - - - Because god knows that untouched reserve of minerals must have certain folks eager to plant a flag first and scope out some rich veins of platinum or gold or something Exactly, the last thing I need is to be sent on some one way data collection and mining rights mission, by some c*cksuckers like:

[Staredge]

If I didn't have kids..........sign me up. I've been in love with astronomy and space stuff since I was a kid. To go to another planet and begin setting up a permanent human presence? Can't imagine anything more exciting. (yes, the space station chapter was my favorite in WWZ)

[Legion2213]

Some people are natural pioneers, they simply *must* do things like this...they are the reason we exist as a globe-spanning race and masters of the planet I suppose. I wouldn't go myself because, well, I could die or something (some people are naturally averse to danger, discomfort and physical hardship). Find an earth-like planet and a means to get me there in a few weeks or so and I'd be far more tempted though!

[Rancid Carcass]

Why the f**k would you go to Mars?!? I can think of three very good reasons...

[Legion2213]

I can think of three very good reasons...   You disgust me...   A true man of class would have posted a pic of of Lynn Collins.

[Andy]

Yeah i could quite happilly live the rest of my life without encountering another human being, aslong as i get TV and internet and decent food.. id be happy Plus it would be cool to be marked in history as one of the first people to colonize mars

[Publius]

If I didn't have kids..........sign me up. I've been in love with astronomy and space stuff since I was a kid. To go to another planet and begin setting up a permanent human presence? Can't imagine anything more exciting. This. In this reality I can't see doing it because of my wife and son. Mars ain't the kind of place to raise your kids, you know -- in fact, it's cold as hell. But had my life gone a little differently 14 or 15 years ago, I could see volunteering.

[Tricky]

At some point further in the future they will find the remains of the volunteers displaying signs of gruesome deaths & cannibalism, and diaries telling the tale of extreme isolation, cabin fever, fear and a longing to go home. It wouldn't be for me, not until they can make it a two way trip!

[Morto Vivente]

Managing to get off-planet on a larger scale has to start at some point. Having somewhere else to exist besides earth may not be such a bad idea in the large scheme of things. Would I wish to be one of the pioneers ? No, as a home I like Earth just fine. Would I like to go on a round trip visit to Mars ? Absolutely! Once all the predicted life threatening "wrinkles" have been ironed out.